What's in a Name?
by Luisa
Summary: Following the birth of the Twins in "The Perfect Gift", the reader was left wondering why Buffy and Giles chose the names that they did for their children. We discover why, in this flashback.


Title: What's in a Name?  
  
Author: Luisa  
  
Email: leyjd@hotmail.com  
  
Pairing: B/G  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Distribution: Dword, Kattie, Dee, TL... all my usual archives. Anyone  
  
else, who wants it, just let me know where!  
  
Summary: Following the birth of the Twins in "The Perfect Gift", the reader  
  
was left wondering why Buffy and Giles chose the names that they did for  
  
their children. We discover why, in this flashback.  
  
Spoilers: Through Chosen S7, plus mild spoilers for early S5 of Angel  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine although I wish they were. All I own is an overactive  
  
imagination. The ingenious invention of the Buffy-Verse belongs to Joss,  
  
Fox, ME and co. Name meanings found at behindthename.com  
  
Feedback: As always... DEFINITELY!  
  
Note 1: I didn't realise the irony of the first name until I'd written it...  
  
honest... although, I will admit that one or two of the other names are  
  
deliberate shout outs to people who have provided wonderful support in the  
  
writing of this series - I will point out, however, that these are just  
  
Buffy's and Giles' opinions... not mine... okay? :-)  
  
Notes 2: *Emphasis* [Thoughts]  
  
Thanks: tons to JBG for taking the time to beta this - you're a star :-)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Stretched out along the length of the sofa with her head resting in the  
  
crook of her husband's shoulder, Buffy Giles found her eyes drifting shut  
  
against her will. The low lighting that was intended to be romantic,  
  
combined with soothing piano music, ha steadily become as effective as a  
  
sleeping draught, and Buffy's grip on the pencil she held loosened as a  
  
semi-yawn escaped her. A low rumbling beneath her neck startled her, and  
  
she realised that its source was chuckling.  
  
"Come on, Sleepyhead. There's no point in doing this tonight if you're  
  
tired."  
  
"No, I'm okay."  
  
The sleepy mumble caused the chuckle to increase in tone and volume. "No,  
  
you're not... you're almost asleep." Giles gave her arm a gentle prod.  
  
"No, I'm awake... really. I'm just... just... thinking with my eyes  
  
closed." She stifled another yawn.  
  
"Of course..." He grinned and, not wanting to argue, turned his attentions  
  
back to the book in his free hand. "Well, in that case, I've got another  
  
idea for one."  
  
"Huh? One what?" Forcing her eyes open, she looked down at the pad in  
  
front of her filled partly with names, partly with doodles. "Oh. Oh yeah.  
  
Well, okay then, let's see if this one is any better than the last hundred  
  
'ideas' you had."  
  
Giles scowled mildly at her teasing sarcasm. "Oh yes, because your ideas  
  
were just magnificent."  
  
"What? I think Miles is a *nice* name!"  
  
"Miles Giles. Yes... simply wonderful. He won't get picked on at all with  
  
a name like that, will he? Now..." He glanced down at the words printed  
  
before him. "Edward... there's a good, strong name."  
  
"For a stuffed bear, maybe."  
  
The Englishman clucked his tongue in irritation. "I give up. Since I'm  
  
obviously no good at this, *you* make a suggestion. What do you have for a  
  
girl's name?"  
  
"I still like Isabel."  
  
Giles ignored the pout in his wife's voice. "I told you 'no' on that one,  
  
already..." He paused for a second, choosing his next words. "Would you  
  
consider Sarah, instead?"  
  
Now wide-awake, Buffy pulled a face. "But that's so... so plain." She ran  
  
a hand affectionately over her stomach. "I told you, I want something  
  
*special* for our babies."  
  
"Sweetheart..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know... I don't like anything you suggest. You already said  
  
that once."  
  
"Actually, I was going to point out that according to this, Sarah is said to  
  
mean Princess." He smiled down at the golden crown beneath his chin.  
  
"Isn't that special enough?"  
  
She considered it silently, turning the name over in her mind, until...  
  
"Nuh-uh. Sorry... it's just that it's so... well, common."  
  
A disappointed sigh sounded in the quietness, followed by a long silence as  
  
Giles tried to think of a name that might please his wife in both its sound  
  
and its meaning. Eventually, he gave up. "Well, do you have any better  
  
ideas? And I *don't* mean Bryony or Isabel."  
  
"I still don't know what's so wrong with those names..." Buffy huffed,  
  
fidgeting so that she could see the next uncrossed name on her list in the  
  
dim light. "...but if you insist on refusing to even consider them, then  
  
fine. I kinda like Angela for a girl, anyway. It's pretty."  
  
Giles nodded gently. "Yes, it is, but..." he broke off and flicked to the  
  
front of the Baby's Names Book. "Hmm. As I suspected."  
  
"What now?" Her voice was weary at the sound of yet another potential  
  
rejection.  
  
"It may be pretty, but it's also entirely inappropriate. Angela is derived  
  
from the name Angelus, meaning..."  
  
"I don't care what it means," Buffy interrupted vehemently with a shudder.  
  
She shuddered. "I am *so* not naming my child after... that... *thing*."  
  
Swiftly crossing through the name, she averted her gaze to the one beneath  
  
it. "I suppose there's something wrong with Megan, too, isn't there?"  
  
There was a pause as Giles found the appropriate place in the book.  
  
"Actually, no. Megan means pearl."  
  
"Wow! A nice name! That makes a change."  
  
"Indeed." Giles kissed his wife's crown lovingly. "If you like it, then  
  
why don't you mark that one down as a possibility?"  
  
"Finally. Now we're getting somewhere." Glancing down at her next choice,  
  
she smiled. "Okay, next up, I've got a boy's name."  
  
"Shouldn't I get a turn here at some point?"  
  
Buffy grinned at Giles' poor attempt at a hurt tone. "In a minute. Just  
  
let me tell you this one, first. It's Philip."  
  
Giles raise his eyebrows in surprise. "After...?"  
  
"Your friend? Not really." She shook her head. "I just thought it sounded  
  
nice. Philip Giles."  
  
The words rolled off her tongue and Giles nodded in agreement.  
  
"It does..." he paused as he read the meaning of the name, "...If you want  
  
our son to be a friend of horses."  
  
"Oh for... What is *wrong* with us? Why do we keep picking all the crappy  
  
names?" Buffy flung her pencil onto the writing pad in frustration. "You  
  
know what? I think this method *sucks*."  
  
"It was your idea," came his muttered response. "You didn't want  
  
suggestions from a *book*, if I recall correctly. You just wanted to write  
  
down your favourites... it's not my fault if they have obscure or  
  
inappropriate meanings behind them."  
  
"Yeah well, I've changed my mind."  
  
"Fancy that." Giles' tone was faintly amused. "I suppose you want to swap,  
  
now, don't you?"  
  
"You know, that's not such a bad idea."  
  
With a resigned sigh, Giles passed the book to his wife, accepting her paper  
  
and pencil in return. After several moments of fractured silence, Buffy  
  
spoke up.  
  
"Right, I've got one."  
  
"I thought you said it was my turn."  
  
"Fine. Then you go. Fire away."  
  
Giles grinned, but chose not to comment on her choice of words, staring  
  
instead at the paper in his hand. "Which do you want - boy or girl?"  
  
"Both." Buffy giggled, rubbing her hand over her belly once more. "Oh  
  
yeah, names, right. Um... girl."  
  
"I don't suppose you like Donna?"  
  
"You don't suppose right." She stuck out her tongue. "Where'd you get  
  
*that* from?"  
  
"I saw it in the book, actually and thought it was quite nice. It means  
  
ruler of the world."  
  
"Really?" She pretended to think it over for the briefest of moments,  
  
before poking her tongue out again. "Still no. Sorry, but I don't care  
  
what it means, I don't like the name." She glanced down at the sentence she  
  
had marked with her finger. "Besides, I've got a *way* better girl's name.  
  
What do you think of Nessa?"  
  
"How unusual." A soft smile spread over Giles' lips as he considered it. "I  
  
like that... I like it very much. Very pretty."  
  
Buffy grinned widely and attempted to bounce in her seat with excitement.  
  
"Yay me!" The babies in her womb objected strongly to the sudden movement  
  
and she stilled, grimacing. "Do you want to know what it means?"  
  
"Probably something terrible."  
  
"No it doesn't. It means miracle."  
  
Tears sprang unbidden to Giles' eyes. "Well, they are certainly that," he  
  
breathed in a wavering voice. "I'll, umm... I'll..." He fought to speak  
  
around the sudden lump in his throat, impressed with his efforts when he at  
  
last succeeded. "I'll mark that down as a strong possible, shall I?"  
  
"Good idea." Blinking back her own tears, Buffy returned to the subject at  
  
hand. "So, I'm guessing you've got a boy's name there as well."  
  
He cleared his throat briefly before replying, "I do."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"I've always liked the name Peter."  
  
Buffy nodded slowly. "That's nice. What's it mean?" Before she could even  
  
turn over a single leaf, Giles answered her.  
  
"It means 'Rock'. According to the writings of the New Testament, Jesus  
  
renamed one of his disciples, Simon, as Peter, because of its meaning and  
  
because Peter was to be the cornerstone of the Christian Church."  
  
"Good grief, Rupert!" Shock was written all over Buffy's face as she  
  
half-turned to look up at her husband. "Is there any book you *haven't*  
  
read?"  
  
Eyes twinkling mischievously, he just grinned. "I do believe that I haven't  
  
examined the Karma Sutra... yet."  
  
"Talking of which," Buffy hurried to interrupt him despite her suddenly  
  
flaming cheeks, "I don't think it would be appropriate to name our son  
  
Peter."  
  
Giles blinked in confusion. "Why ever not? I thought you said you liked  
  
it."  
  
"I do, but... well..." She sighed dramatically to cover a giggle that  
  
threatened to escape. "We would never be able to have a family photo."  
  
"Why on earth not?"  
  
"Well... if I stood between you two, I'd be... well..." A bubble of laughter  
  
escaped, "I'd be 'stuck between a rock and a hard place'."  
  
He couldn't help himself. One chuckle after another escaped until they had  
  
become full belly laughs, causing him to struggle in getting his response  
  
out. "You're... you're... oh, dear lord... you're right, we... we  
  
definitely can't call... him... Peter... not now."  
  
"You know," Buffy managed once her breathing was under control again, "I  
  
reckon we should just get rid of this book... it's not helping."  
  
"As much as I hate to admit it, it would appear that you're right. That  
  
blasted book seems to be doing more harm than good."  
  
"Well, to be fair, it's not completely the book's fault. After all,  
  
*you're* the one who just *has* to look up the meaning of every name."  
  
Knowing there was no way of escaping his wife's teasing accusation, Giles  
  
just growled playfully, "Well, what do you suggest then? If we're doing  
  
this all wrong, what's the right way to do it?"  
  
At this point, Buffy sat up, a thoughtful expression on her face. Silent  
  
seconds passed as she considered the options. "Hmmm... well, I guess we  
  
could... or not..." Now deep in thought, she arose and began pacing in a  
  
small circle, unaware of the amused expression on her husband's face. "Or  
  
maybe..." she shook her head, "bad idea... or is it?" She sat back down and  
  
turned to face him. "There's only one thing I can think of - as much as I  
  
hate to say it."  
  
Giles' only response was to patiently raise his eyebrows, a small smile  
  
tugging at the corners of his lips.  
  
"Family names." She heaved a deep sigh and reclined again, this time facing  
  
Giles as she placed her bare feet in his lap. Automatically he moved to  
  
massage their soles while she continued.  
  
"Maybe something that's been passed down through the generations, or just  
  
the name of a favourite ancestor. That kind of thing." She grinned at him.  
  
"So long as we don't have to have another Rupert... the kid could go through  
  
all kinds of torment at school with a name like that."  
  
Giles' massage turned momentarily to tickles at her words. "Well, at least  
  
it's better than Buffy. What sort of parent would inflict that on their  
  
child?"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
He secured his hold on her feet before she tried to jerk them away from him  
  
and resumed stroking them lovingly. "Sorry, sweetheart." He lifted a foot  
  
and placed a feather-light kiss to the tip of her big toe. "You know I  
  
don't mean it."  
  
"You better not... or there'll be trouble."  
  
"Anyway..." he chose to ignore her teasing threat, "I think that's a good  
  
idea... although, my mother stopped passing on the family name when I was  
  
born. I gather she didn't like the name Richard... something about it being  
  
outdated, I believe."  
  
"We are so *not* calling our child that!"  
  
Giles paused in his ministrations and looked up in surprise at his wife's  
  
outburst. "I didn't realise it was that bad."  
  
She stared at him in amazement. "Don't tell me you've forgotten... you  
  
know... that was the name of a certain evil-mayor-snake-demon-thingy that  
  
tried to eat us all at graduation?"  
  
He sighed heavily, although there was a soft sparkle of humour in his eyes.  
  
"Oh. Well, I guess that means we can't have Glorificus, either."  
  
"Rupert..."  
  
"Buffy." He cut her off, "If we discount the name of every evil thing  
  
you've fought, there would be no names left to choose from."  
  
"Giles." Her tone matched his, but her eyes held no sparkle. "I'm only  
  
saying no to the names that I remember... and I only remember those because  
  
they made my life such a living hell... you know... Caleb, Warren, Glory,  
  
Adam, Mayor Wilkins, Angelus... since I didn't take the time to get to know  
  
all the vamps, demons and assorted minions personally, I guess that means  
  
there are plenty of names available." Buffy frowned as she'd realised she'd  
  
gone slightly off-track. "But that's not the point, here. The point is  
  
that I don't want to name our son... or daughter... after something that's  
  
tried to kill me."  
  
"You're right." Giles murmured his agreement absently, nodding his head  
  
slightly before he realised what he said. His eyes widened in shock and he  
  
repeated his statement. "You're right." He let out a gasp and held a hand  
  
to his chest in mock horror, as if to steady himself. "Oh dear lord...  
  
you're actually *right*."  
  
"Watch it, Mister. I may be insanely in love with you, but I can still make  
  
your life miserable."  
  
"Hmph." He chose not to react to the admonition and instead lowered his  
  
hand in order to turn his attentions to the other foot. He rubbed and  
  
kneaded in silence for several moments while his mind traced his family  
  
history. "There *is* a name that comes to mind, if we are considering  
  
ancestors..." he spoke softly, still part lost in thought, but rushed on  
  
before Buffy could interrupt.  
  
"You see, when I was young and fighting my destiny, my father tried to  
  
inspire me with tales of my great-great-great-grandfather. Many a time, he  
  
would tell me of how the children of that age wanted to be like him... and  
  
of how all the women adored him and his fellow men respected him.  
  
Apparently, those were days when it *meant* something to be called as a  
  
Watcher... when the knowledge of such a destiny was like discovering you  
  
were the heir to the throne. Unfortunately, nothing my father could say  
  
could stop me from running - although when I eventually *did* accept my  
  
destiny, I discovered yet more about this tremendous man. Did you know,  
  
that before he was called, all active Watchers were men? Oh don't get me  
  
wrong,-"  
  
Giles shook his head to stop Buffy's potential outburst and carried on,  
  
"Women *were* called... but the Council rejected them. Without Slayer  
  
superpowers, the fairer sex were believed to be weak and worthless. But  
  
when he came along, my great-great-great-grandfather changed all that, and  
  
it proved to be a wise decision. The female Watchers provided a valuable  
  
insight into the minds of the young girls being trained as Slayers, so  
  
effectively, he revolutionised the whole structure of the Council and the  
  
way they worked together with the Slayer and the potentials. Soon after, it  
  
seemed only natural that he should become President of the assembly - and he  
  
stayed that way, too - right up to his death."  
  
"Wow." The word came out in a long rush of air that startled Buffy into the  
  
realisation that she'd been holding her breath. Eyes wide, she processed  
  
this new information about her husband's family. "So... what was his name?"  
  
"Charles Oliver Benjamin Giles."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Wow." Unable to help herself, Buffy echoed her sentiment once more. "Wow.  
  
So... how come you never told me any of this before?"  
  
Giles shrugged. "There was no need to."  
  
"I guess. So..." She took a deep breath. "Which name are we gonna go for?  
  
I mean, this guy was just incredible... we really gotta honour that  
  
somehow."  
  
"I'm glad you agree." Despite his soft voice, Giles was smiling widely,  
  
"After all, if it hadn't been for his achievement, Dawn would be studying in  
  
vain."  
  
"Well, it's not exactly the same thing... it's not like she's been  
  
'Called'," Buffy countered.  
  
"Calling or no Calling, she would never have been even *provisionally*  
  
accepted as an Assistant Translator had it not been for Charles." Pride  
  
shone in his eyes - as it always did when he spoke of his sister-in-law's  
  
chosen career.  
  
"Uh-huh..." Buffy nodded absently, her mind only half-following the  
  
conversation as a thought occurred to her. "You know... hearing you say his  
  
name like that convinces me that it's not really a suitable name for a  
  
child. It's an 'Old Man's' name."  
  
Wisely, Giles chose not to comment on her remark. "Well, what do you think  
  
of Oliver? Or Benj..." he stopped abruptly at his wife's hard glare. "Okay,  
  
then. *Not* Benjamin. Which leaves us with one option."  
  
"Oliver," she supplied, before repeating it, getting used to the feel of it  
  
rolling off her tongue. "Oliver. Oliver. Ollie.... Oliver Giles." At  
  
last, she nodded her acceptance. "I like it." A small frown followed her  
  
words. "Do we have to pick out a middle name, too?"  
  
"You decide." Giles' massage moved up to her calves as he spoke.  
  
"Although, if you want my opinion, I would suggest picking one out as a  
  
possible second name, but that would also do for a name should we have two  
  
boys."  
  
"Oooh. Good idea!" Buffy exclaimed. "I hadn't thought of that. So, what  
  
do you suggest for that? Any other interesting people in your family you  
  
want to name a son after?"  
  
"Not particularly. What about you?"  
  
She shrugged. "Not really into the whole family tree research thing, ya  
  
know. The only names that stick in my mind are Mom's, of course... and  
  
Cecilia's. Although having said that, even though I loved my cousin, I  
  
wouldn't want to name my child after her."  
  
"What about your mother?"  
  
"Joyce Giles." She grinned cheekily. "I don't think our son would forgive  
  
us if we named him that."  
  
"No," a look of mild reproval mixed with amusement set upon Giles' handsome  
  
features as he corrected his wife, "I meant for a daughter."  
  
"I know what you meant, Rupert. It's just funny teasing you." The smile  
  
held for a moment before dying. "Although, in all seriousness... it would  
  
be nice to call a daughter after my mother... you know, so that some small  
  
part of her could live on. After all..." she swallowed back a small sob and  
  
continued in a shaky voice, "...Mom should have been here to see her  
  
grandchildren be born... and grow up. It's not fair." She bit a lip in a  
  
vain effort to contain her emotions. As several tears spilt over she let  
  
out a short laugh. "Damn hormones."  
  
He laughed a little too and handed her a tissue.  
  
"Well, let's do that then. If one of the twins is a girl, let's call her  
  
Joyce... what's wrong, now?" He added, upon noticing Buffy frown slightly.  
  
"Well, Joyce is so old-fashioned..."  
  
"Good grief, Buffy!" Giles pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation,  
  
"You change your mind more frequently than you change the sheets! Do you or  
  
don't you want the name Joyce for a little girl?"  
  
"Well... yes and no."  
  
A soft groan escaped him, and she hastened to explain.  
  
"I just mean... yes, I want it... I really do want to remember Mom in that  
  
way... but... I just don't think it would suit a child... not even as a  
  
middle name. Maybe... we could shorten it, or something? What do you  
  
think?"  
  
"I can understand you concerns, Sweetheart. However, the only abbreviation  
  
I can possibly think of would be Joy. How does that-"  
  
"It's perfect," Buffy sighed happily before he could finish his question.  
  
"Joy Giles." She found herself frowning again. "That sounds weird. Let's  
  
make that a middle name if we only have one girl."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
Buffy giggled at her husband's firm voice. "It's alright, Honey, we're  
  
nearly done. We just need one more name for each sex, should we end up with  
  
two of a kind."  
  
"Oh dear lord." He sighed heavily. "So do you propose choosing those using  
  
the same method?"  
  
"Unless you can think of anything better."  
  
"My only thought is one that you probably wouldn't like."  
  
"Try me. I might just surprise you."  
  
"Well, it only just occurred to me." There was a thoughtful expression  
  
shining in his eyes as he spoke. "If these twins arrive on time early New  
  
Year, perhaps Noel would be suitable for a boy. Think about it... if we had  
  
a boy and a girl, we could have Noel and Joy... their combined names meaning  
  
'Christmas joy'."  
  
"Rupert... where on earth do you get these names from? Julian, Kevin,  
  
Anthony, Richard, Charles and Oliver... and now Noel. Anyone would think  
  
that you're either British, old, or both."  
  
Giles blinked in confusion. "Is that a compliment or a criticism?  
  
Actually - don't answer that." After a beat, he repeated his suggestion.  
  
"So, do you like Noel for a boy?"  
  
Buffy scrunched up her face in concentration for a long moment before  
  
answering. "Well.... it's not bad, I guess. It's not great, either,  
  
though, but I guess we could have it as a last resort-backup-type thingy if  
  
we have two boys - or a middle name if we just have one."  
  
"If you really don't like it, why don't we just return to my original  
  
suggestion of Alexander?"  
  
"Giles, we can't do that. If we name a son after Xand, we'd have to name a  
  
daughter after Willow... plus, you know Dawn would kill us both if she  
  
didn't have a namesake."  
  
"I see your point. So... is Noel okay for now, then? After all, it's not  
  
as if we'd had any better luck this evening."  
  
"Only as a very last resort, then... or as a middle name, I guess it's  
  
okay." She played with the name in her mind once more, before sharing her  
  
thoughts. "I mean... I like the whole 'Christmas Joy', thing... but Noel  
  
Giles... well, it sounds a little weird..."  
  
"We don't *have* to go with it, you know... I don't want you to feel forced.  
  
Plus, we have several weeks to go, yet... so there's no rush."  
  
Buffy gave a small pout in response. "But I *want* to do it now..." the  
  
pout suddenly disappeared as a thought occurred to her. "You know, the more  
  
I think about it, the more Noel sounds okay-ish. If I say yes, will you let  
  
me have any name I like for a girl?"  
  
Gile's voice was wary as he replied, "Depends on the name..."  
  
"Well, I liked it already and then I looked it up and liked it even more...  
  
I'm just not sure if you'll agree with my reason for choosing it."  
  
"Let's find out, shall we?"  
  
Buffy nodded, drawing a deep breath. "It's Emma."  
  
"Hmmm...."  
  
"Wait, hear me out... please?" She waited for his gentle nod of acceptance  
  
before proceeding. "Firstly, I just like the name. Secondly... and this is  
  
what you're not gonna like... I *know* we said no to naming them after our  
  
friends, but, I was just thinking..."  
  
"No, Buffy. If you won't allow me to make allowances..."  
  
"I was thinking..."  
  
"No, Buffy."  
  
"Rupert, stop interrupting. As I was saying, I was thinking about calling a  
  
daughter Emma, after..."  
  
"Hang on... we don't even know any Emmas."  
  
Buffy smiled gently at the confused expression on her husband's face.  
  
"If you'll let me finish what I'm saying, it'll all make sense in a minute."  
  
Finally he conceded, again with a slight nod.  
  
"My idea was that... well... Emma is more subtle than Anya."  
  
"In that case, I think you should let me have Alexander."  
  
"Giles! What part of 'No' don't you understand?"  
  
"If you intend to name..."  
  
"Anya's *dead*, Rupert. I hardly think the guys would object to remembering  
  
her..."  
  
"Really. So what about Tara? Or William? Oh, wait, I keep forgetting he's  
  
not dead-dead anymore... just undead." The rare display of sarcasm sounded  
  
strange in Giles' normally tender voice as he added, "Let's just call her  
  
Jenny, while we're at it."  
  
"Oh yeah... 'cause explaining to people that my daughter is named after my  
  
husband's ex-girlfriend would make *so* much sense."  
  
A penetrating silence fell over the couple in the wake of Buffy's words  
  
until she spoke softly up again.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."  
  
"No, I'm sorry. I was out of line. I don't know what came over me."  
  
"No, *I'm* sorry. It's my fault." Buffy giggled as she realised the  
  
daftness of the turn in the conversation. "Stupid, stupid hormones."  
  
Giles grinned. "You're telling me."  
  
"Can I?"  
  
Giles blinked in bewilderment. "Can you what?"  
  
"Tell you... why I'd like to name our daughter after Anya rather than  
  
Tara...or... anyone else?"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"Firstly, because her death was unlike those of our other friends. She went  
  
into a war, aware of what the cost could be. She fought to help us save the  
  
world, instead of running away from such a huge responsibility... like some  
  
would..."  
  
"...Like she *did*, once upon a time..."  
  
"Yes, I know. I was just about to say that. Anyway, she changed... and  
  
despite herself she ended up caring about us and she proved that by what she  
  
did. So I thought this would be a nice way to remember her. Secondly,  
  
before you ask, I chose Emma instead of Anya or Anna, because her second  
  
name was Emmanuella but I figured that was too long-winded. Thirdly and  
  
finally, I looked up the meaning of the name as I was curious... and I found  
  
out that it simply means, 'whole'... which is how I feel, knowing that we're  
  
about to become a family."  
  
"Um-hmm..."  
  
"Look, if you really don't like it, then fine. We'll go with Nessa  
  
instead... or even Megan. I just... I don't want to argue about this."  
  
"Neither do I, sweetheart. And I do understand what you're saying... in  
  
fact, I agree that it would be a lovely tribute to Anya's sacrifice."  
  
"But..."  
  
"But I'm just concerned what the others - Willow, in particular - may say."  
  
"They won't know unless we tell them."  
  
"Hmm. I suppose so." There was a long pause as Giles thought it over.  
  
Finally, he conceded. "Okay then, it appears that we have names for our  
  
children."  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"So if it's two boys... it's Noel and Oliver..."  
  
"And if it's two girls, then they'll be Emma and Joy."  
  
"And, should we be blessed with both a son *and* a daughter, they'll be-"  
  
"Oliver Noel and Emma Joy Giles."  
  
"You know, you're right."  
  
Buffy stared at her husband in shock. "I am? Twice in one evening? Why?  
  
What about?"  
  
Giles smiled at her tenderly and while he answered, subtly moved her legs  
  
off his lap so that her feet could rest on the floor. "About Emma."  
  
"What about her... it...the name?"  
  
He took the opportunity to slide over the soft fabric to her side, where he  
  
pulled her into his arms.  
  
"About the meaning... and about us."  
  
She gazed up at him, silently trying to work out what he was saying.  
  
Eventually, he furthered his explanation.  
  
"Whole. That's what we are, now. All of this... I feel like we're finally  
  
whole. This is our completion."  
  
Buffy lowered her head and snuggled into her husband's embrace, a soft, but  
  
tired smile playing on her lips.  
  
"Yep. That's us. We're completed."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
END 


End file.
